Lead content is not at all a guarantee of fine quality crystal. Let us give you the real story on lead crystal.
Crystal must be painstakingly polished to look its most brilliant. When you mix lead with glass, the lead acts as a softening agent so it’s easier and faster to cut and polish the crystal.
Manufacturers in third world countries will often use lead for self-serving reasons, to produce crystal with less effort, even though this may not be safe for the artisans involved.
Schonbek deliberately chooses fine handcut crystal without lead content.
The factors to consider when you’re determining the quality of crystal are optical clarity, sharpness of faceting and prismatic brilliance. These characteristics can be verified visually by any careful observer.
If you’re determined to have lead crystal, we’d recommend machine-cut Strass®. Lead content is in excess of 30 percent.
